How are TV broadcasts determined???

[Pottertons]

E.g, FSWC/FSW - How do they get the particular matches on their schedule?

Do they bid for them, or is it a case of take what we give you from the respective leagues?

It would be sweet if fans of the game could bid on some sort of official website for which fixtures we get to see.

On the other hand, if that were the case, all we'd see is Man UTD, Arsenal and Chelsea matches.

[king_saladin]

On the other hand, if that were the case, all we'd see is Man UTD, Arsenal and Chelsea matches.

Don't we see all of them? And they try to put as many as possible on PPV.

[deeplennon]

E.g, FSWC/FSW - How do they get the particular matches on their schedule?

Do they bid for them, or is it a case of take what we give you from the respective leagues?

It would be sweet if fans of the game could bid on some sort of official website for which fixtures we get to see.

On the other hand, if that were the case, all we'd see is Man UTD, Arsenal and Chelsea matches.

FSC (fox soccer channel) is at the mercy of the English broadcasters and can only show whatever games they decide to air... Though often the games that are on PPV in England, are free here and vice versa.

In the states you can almost always expect to pay the $20 ppv fee to see Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool play eachother. While in England Sky Sports would be lynched by both the general public and their advertisers if they tried to pull that off. The PPV games in England tend to be of more regional interest.

The 05/06 fixtures just came out this morning so right now Sky is still planning their TV schedule. Last year they announced it Friday July 2nd.. so I'd put good money on them announcing it Friday July 1st this year. They'll be announcing their planned coverage (including ppv games) up to the winter holidays. You can count on FSC having every game that Sky plans on broadcasting - though most FSC matches are delayed so that everyone's awake to watch. PPV and the featured Saturday morning matches are always live. Check out http://www.skysports.com next Friday if you're interested.

[king_saladin]

Are EPL matches broadcast live on Saturday? I thought I once read something vague about them not shown because of the effect of attendance on lower leagues.

[John Boy]

Are EPL matches broadcast live on Saturday? I thought I once read something vague about them not shown because of the effect of attendance on lower leagues.


Yes, but they aren't allowed to be shown at 3pm for the reason you mentioned. The kick-offs for live TV Saturday matches are normally 12:30pm and 5:15pm.

[Rise]

There has never been a broadcast from the traditional 3pm kick off program of games on a Saturday. Whilst it may well have a slight effect on numbers going to lower league matches, I think the flip side is more relevant; that with more people who do actually still go to a live game at 3pm, the television audience will be much reduced - and hence so will the attractiveness to advertisers.
Broadcast it at 3pm Saturday and you may convince a few fairer weather fans to stay home and watch, but you'll lose many many more thousands who do go and watch their local team. Broadcast it on Sunday when no-one else is playing, and you have the entire Football Nation captive.

For that reason, although televised games on Saturday are quite common, they are always moved to 12pm, which is just enough time to watch the game at the pub and then get to the footy ground for the traditional 3pm show. Alternatively, on rarer occassion Saturday TV games can be shunted to 5.45pm (a favourite of the BBC for the FA Cup), so as to give people enough time to get back to the pub/home after leaving their local game.

I have actually in the past watched a Prem game on Sky at lunchtime, at fulltime gone and watched my team at home at the Park, got back to the pub for a teatime FA Cup game, and then switched over and watched the Spanish football game which is broadcast live on Saturday night. TV footy is considered an artform over here. ;)

[mis-e-one]

E.g, FSWC/FSW - How do they get the particular matches on their schedule?

Do they bid for them, or is it a case of take what we give you from the respective leagues?

It would be sweet if fans of the game could bid on some sort of official website for which fixtures we get to see.

On the other hand, if that were the case, all we'd see is Man UTD, Arsenal and Chelsea matches.

Sky are legally (at least according to the contract they signed with the FA Premier League) bound to show every team at least 4 times.

Naturally the bigger clubs and better teams like Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc. will be shown the most times, because they would draw the highest ratings (which logically all TV networks care about).

There are some games they show every year though like Man U/Arsenal, Arsenal/Liverpool, Man U/Chelsea, Arsenal/Chelsea, Man U/Liverpool, etc.

[Pottertons]

Sky are legally (at least according to the contract they signed with the FA Premier League) bound to show every team at least 4 times.

Naturally the bigger clubs and better teams like Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc. will be shown the most times, because they would draw the highest ratings (which logically all TV networks care about).

There are some games they show every year though like Man U/Arsenal, Arsenal/Liverpool, Man U/Chelsea, Arsenal/Chelsea, Man U/Liverpool, etc.

yeah, this is what I thought. Just was'nt sure about it.

[DAGSports]

yeah, this is what I thought. Just was'nt sure about it.
All of the above is basically true. The TV basically works out as follows:

The marquee games are played either at 12:30 GMT/7:30 AM Eastern on Saturday, or 4:00 GMT/11:00 AM Eastern on Sunday.

Another game goes off in the 5:00 GMT/12 noon Eastern hour most Saturdays, one more either Sunday in the early afternoon or Monday at 8:00 PM GMT/3:00 Eastern, and the rest begin at the traditional time. FSC in the US does have the ability to broadcast one of the main-kickoff time games, which they do on pay-per-view, and then usually another one on tape-delay later on.

Go to soccertv.com, and you'll see that the pattern for televised EPL games is pretty consistent.

[pappa]

there will be careful consideration of many aspects but theres no doubt the bigger clubs get more games. they obly announce so many tv games at atimeas obviously if theres a shock team high in the league their fixtures may become more attractive


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